How to Train Your Dragon
by ArchangelSelaphiel
Summary: Dean and Sam, two elemental dragons that managed to escape death by hunters at an early age, do everything they can to avoid being discovered for what they are. Wanting only to live in solitude, their peace is destroyed by finding that the new town they've moved close to houses two rare breeds of dragon as chained pets...
1. Prelude

"Stoppit!"

"Stop what?"

"Dean _stoppit!_"

A deep emerald-colored tail swiped outward; the tiny body it was attached to swinging with it a little in the momentum. But the target side-stepped the swipe easily, a cheeky grin on the other boy's face. Bright hazel eyes peered down over freckled cheeks to the small emerald tail, watching it twitch angrily.

"Oh don't be a baby Sammy!" The cheeky boy snickered, his own bronze tail swishing lazily back and forth as if taunting him.

Across from him the owner of the emerald tail pouted, arms crossed in a decidedly huffy manner as a deep pout stole over soft pink lips. "'M not! Stop pulling my leaves out, that hurts!"

"You are too. I'm only pulling out the dead ones! You know they need to come out or you'll get sick." Dean snorted, rolling his eyes and reaching for his little brother again. When the smaller boy stepped backward in an attempt to create more space, he decided to stop beating around the bush and lurched for Sam, tackling him to the ground.

"Deaaaan!"

"Hold still and it wont hurt! I don't want you to get sick Sammy, jeeze!"

The wrestling match came to a sudden halt when a deafening roar rent the air, the sound sending horrible chills through both boys. The call was pained, as if the owner had just suffered egregious injury. Dean clamped his hands over Sam's eyes quickly, shoving his younger brother harshly beneath his own body for protection as the sound of a crash nearby their cave and the rolling rocks at the opening quickly followed suit.

Sam's muffled panic beneath him was ignored as Dean watched on in horror; the tumbling body of a dragon crashing over the entrance to their home and rolling down the steep decline of their mountain.

"Dad...?" He choked out quietly.

oOoOoOo

The weather was warm for early afternoon, an odd surprise given that it was barely the beginning of spring and the flowers hadn't even begun to bloom. A shadow fell over the slow-melting snow of the fields on the edge of the mountain range, the size increasing as the sound of swift wing-beats permeated the normally silent atmosphere. With a dull thud and the sound of crunching snow, four massive and clawed feet dug gently into the frozen earth.

"Are you sure this is far enough away from that town...?" Deep hazel eyes peered out over thousands of brilliant earthen scales, the various hues of green and gold that reflected off of the dragon's body shining like gems on the surface of running water. A pair of wings that held a good sixty feet in full span spread out languidly in the air in case a quick take-off was needed.

Nearby, another dragon touched down on the snow; the sound much louder and far less graceful. "Yeah, Sam. It's about a half day's hike back in human form if we need to pick up anything, and we're just high up enough that normal humans wont see us easily. Relax, I told you I'd find us someplace."

The bulky brown dragon stood in complete contrast to his younger brother; scales seemingly carved of copper and bronze, reflecting the sunlight in such harsh splendor that they almost seemed eternally burning atop all the muscle.

Dean eyed his brother a moment curiously. He never bothered to ask Sam anymore if an area seemed comfortable enough for him; his brother tended to lie to appease him, even when it threatened his health. Instead, the fire dragon learned to tell by the shine of his brother's scales and the leaves that made up the bulk of his mane; if the area around them was unsuitable for the younger earth-elemental, the leaves would turn brown and begin to shrivel up quickly. But they seemed to react normally to the area, which meant that Dean really had found them a good spot.

He grinned toothily, before the massive muscled bulk of his dragon form began to shrink into a much smaller, but still quite stocky human form. Freckles dusted tanned cheeks, as hazel eyes peered out in a familiar cheeky fashion at the other dragon. His brother snorted at him, before emerald wings pulled back into a lax state.

"Alright, I guess. I just don't want a repeat of that last village, Dean..."

The fire dragon winced, reaching up to rub the back of his neck absently.

"Hey, I didn't know she was the mayor's daughter."


	2. Lesson One: Domesticate

In the moonlight, deep emerald scales gleamed with an inky blackness. The rumbling sound of swift, shallow breathing was muffled by an overhead crack of thunder; lighting flashing brilliantly and illuminating the glow of swirling hazel irises. The scales of the earthen dragon rippled like stones on water... fleshy body bending low to the ground and shifting in complete silence through the tall grass, even if it only barely covered the bend of the dragon's joints.

Being an earth elemental had its perks. Despite having less offensive magic then his brother, Sam could bend the plants and sometimes the very dirt to his will. Silence was key when stalking prey and avoiding humans, and for his size and particular skillset, Dean had finally begun to let him hunt on his own. '_It only took forty years._' He though to himself, a moment before rustling in the brush a couple dozen feet ahead caught his attention.

A small heard of wild elk had come to a stop not long ago, many ready to sleep for the night. With his wings pressed tightly against his back and his legs drawn in, Sam willed himself to blend in with the rocks and boulders around him. Since many were covered in moss, it wasn't as hard as it could have been. But elk could be clever. They needed at least four; two for their own food stores, and two to sell in the human town.

Slowly, carefully, Sam reached outward to begin his approach. The grass around him parted gently, but still without sound as his aura _demanded_ of the earth that it remain silent. He could feel the pulse of his brother's own erratic aura miles out; Dean being in charge of finding the mammoth this time around. Sam was glad briefly that his brother was so far away, with the how his aura was pulsating wildly, he was sure the elk would have bolted a while ago.

Inhaling slowly, the earth dragon continued his forward pursuit of their meal-ticket... then paused when two heads turned to look in his direction. Remaining calm and collected he waited with the patience of ages, until soft ears flicked and the elk returned to grazing. As clawed feet reached the end of the tall grass Sam released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He was still trying to contain his excitement so he could maintain control. This was only his third hunt on his own... all the elk killed here were his.

With the speed and strength of his kind, before the elk could even react a sharp crack rent the air; Sam's tail simultaneously breaking the necks of the three that stood closest to him. As the herd bayed and jumped upright to begin bolting in fear, Sam's tail swung out again and another two fell in rapid succession. Five wasn't bad, he surmised with a pleased air as he let the rest flee. They had enough, he didn't want to take more then they would normally use and arouse the human's suspicion to any dwindling wildlife.

Another erratic pulse from his fire elemental brother came, this one much larger and more violent then any of the others. '_Looks like Dean's done too. Time to head back._' Grunting lightly, he used his tail to haul the carcasses over his back, spreading his wings to make sure none slipped off. With a gentle flap, Sam pushed up off the ground to head back to their field between the mountains.

Since the field itself lay atop a somewhat steep ledge, it was the perfect place for them to build a house and avoid prying eyes. They'd learned their lesson with nosy humans... one incident forcing Dean to raze half a town just for the two of them to escape alive. They never talked about it. Sam was pulled out of his inner musings suddenly when a bright flash of something in the distance caught his eyes, making him squint lightly.

"Isn't that the human village?" He muttered to himself, the draconic dual-tone and language that no human would understand spilling from his mouth languidly. Unlike his brother, Sam sorely wished they didn't have to live so far out. But he understood.

The glint disappeared as quickly as it came and Sam shook his massive head, deciding that whatever it was, it could wait until they had to go into town.

OooOoOoOo

The thrashing chromatic body atop the runic circle gave a strong lurch, but the humans holding the enchanted chains that bound the creature were stead-fast. As the shackle around the dragon's neck bit down into scaled flesh, six massive wings beat in a futile manner. The dragon was bound to the large stone slab below by three chains with powerful runes and magical enhancements... no matter how he tried, he couldn't escape.

One human, looking exceedingly irate, pointed a chubby finger at him. "Keep giving us trouble and we'll clip your large friend's wings!" The man spat venomously.

At the threat, the golden dragon immediately stilled; sharp eyes darting to the much larger, prone form only a dozen or so feet away. The ebony dragon lay silently on the altar, watching with exhausted eyes. He had had his own futile attempt at escape too, but was not nearly as strong as his companion and ended up tiring quickly. It helped little that the wound he had incurred upon capture still remained unattended... a long gash along the meaty part of the left hind leg. Now, humans thrust spears in the direction of his wings in case the trouble-making light elemental decided to give them more hassle.

Golden scales rippled in barely-concealed rage... but he held still.

"Good boy." The man quipped, smirking in a manner that told the dragon how superior he felt in that moment.

Oh, how the light elemental wanted to melt his face off. As if reading his thoughts, the ebony dragon seemed to huff out in agreement, though the humans took no notice of the gesture.

"Looks like we can begin now." The round man gestured to the smaller dragon's tail, where a soft mane of silvered hair glistened in the full moonlight. There were several bald patches in various sections around the tip where the hair started; sheared spots that were unable to regrow due to the binding magics.

"Heh. You should be happy, some of the money from this goes to keeping you and your little friend fed." The man snickered, before waving in the few guards that had been holding the chains down. Two of them reached for their belts; swords being drawn in preparation.

'_Gabriel..._'

The golden dragon looked to his companion again, giving a gentle mental nudge back at the call of his name.

'_Don't worry about it Cassy... it doesn't even hurt that much anymore._'

Trying to prove some truth to his words, Gabriel bit back the cry welling in his chest as the sharp metal came down over his tail, viciously peeling away the sensitive skin and hair with little regard to the damage being done. But despite his efforts, he couldn't stop the flash of light that flared outward from his aura.

OoOoOoOoOo

Morning saw Sam lurching up sluggishly, hazel eyes blinking blearily in the morning light. No matter how long they'd been doing it, it still felt weird to the younger Winchester when he woke up in his human form. He could hear the muffled sounds of a mallet driving something home, and tilted sideways a bit to peer out his bedroom window.

Dean was in the grass in his human form, tamping down a wooden canvas with the mammoth hide stretched over the somewhat bulky frame. The younger Winchester wondered how long he'd slept this morning, if Dean had already skinned one of the massive beasts.

But he knew his brother liked doing this part of the job by himself anyway, and with a murmured grunt, stood to get dressed. When he finally made it downstairs, he saw a pot full of some thick soup waiting for him over the fire. The smell was heavenly... his mouth salivating as he reached for the clean bowl waiting nearby. By the time Dean stepped back inside, Sam was already on seconds.

"Hey, glad to see you're... you know." The older man waved his hand at Sam a bit, expecting his brother to catch on so he wouldn't have to continue.

Raising an eyebrow, Sam only stared at at him though. "... What?"

But Dean only shrugged dismissively, already turning to head back outside and make sure the racks were secured. He had no urge to continue on from there, Sam seemed fine enough to him now. The younger Winchester put down his bowl quickly. If Dean had taken initiative to start one of those 'moments' he hated so much, Sam wanted to know what the hell he was talking about.

"Dean, seriously, what? You saw me last night; I didn't come back with any wounds-"

"No, it wasn't anything like that. Chill out, princess." Reaching up to scrub the back of his neck absently, the fire elemental didn't turn around to face Sam, but continued on. "You just... fuck, I don't know. When you came back last night you had this weird expression on your face, like something fucking tore you a new one. But you didn't have a scratch on you, and you just went straight to bed after tossing the meat in the storage shed. You're tellin' me you don't remember?"

Brow furrowing lightly, Sam shook his head. "No, I do. I was just tired." After a moment, he added, "There was a weird light coming from the town that I saw, now that I think about it. I don't know what it was, though."

Dean snorted lightly. "Humans probably messing with shit they shouldn't be messing with. But we have to go down in today for trade, you sure you're up for that?"

Shooting him an annoyed look, Sam picked up the discarded bowl. Having turned to his brother sometime during the discussion, Dean raised his hands as a smirk spread across his lips.

"Alright, we leave in a couple hours. Bitch."

Sam snorted lightly as he made to stand. "Jerk."


	3. Lesson Two: Catalyst

Dean knew his brother enjoyed their trips to the human towns. He wasn't exactly adverse to them himself... not entirely. But they weren't humans, and no matter how much they occasionally pretended to be so they could get supplies they needed, they both knew they would never be accepted if their true origin came to light. That didn't stop the looks of longing Dean watched his brother try to hide from him, as the people they passed stood in their little social circles gossiping about inane human topics.

As their horse-drawn cart came to a slow stand-still in front of the trader's shop, Dean rolled his eyes for the second time in under an hour. "Dude, go wander off then. I'm getting tired of you sulking, I swear people are staring at us like you're some kind of abused pet."

Sam shot him a look torn between incredulous and annoyed, before settling on scoffing loudly in reply. "I'm not _sulking-_" But before he could finish, a hard shove nearly sent him sprawling into a group of passersby. He just barely managed to swerve around them, before turning back to glare at his brother.

"What the hell, Dean?!"

"Sam, just go. Wander around, see if there's anything else we need that we forgot about. And while you're at it, pick up a pie. When was the last time we had pie?"

A dark eyebrow rose irritably at the question, but Sam's eyes were already slowly darting around the nearby shops with thinly-veiled curiosity. "About a week ago, Dean." He muttered, but before his brother could return with a snappy remark, he waved him off.

"Fine. Meet at the front gate in what, two hours?"

Dean snorted, but reached for the reins of the horse. "Yeah sure fine. Two hours, Sammy. Don't make me come looking for you."

"Yeah, right."

"Bitch." Dean muttered, before tugging at the horse and directing it towards the back entrance meant for hunters with large spoils. He'd been at this enough by now that he didn't have to think about procedure with the human shops. They were all the same.

"Jerk." Came the halfhearted retort; the younger Winchester already veering off and heading towards a stall with vegetables at a slow gait. He had a fair few coins on him; between him and his brother they had quite the amount of money stashed away in various caves throughout the nearby mountains. Not really needing it so much as enjoying the feeling that secret wealth had, they kept amassing their riches.

Sam's lips twitched in an amused smile, remembering at one point that his brother had suggested they build a large pool for their gold. But he had to remind his brother that it would probably attract the attention of any remaining dragons, or other creatures that also enjoyed the shine and feel of the precious metal. Dean had reluctantly agreed, and the pool idea was left to drop.

Waiting on a few women who were finishing with purchases at the stall, Sam let his gaze loiter a bit more. The town was fairly large, which was a surprise. He had always thought that places as big as this would hold castles for their Lords, but it seemed that this town was just small enough that such a massive construct wasn't yet warranted.

There was a Lord, however, that he knew well. The man was also a fat, pompous ass, at least as far as Sam was concerned. Getting the rights to citizenship and claim of the land they had found had been a royal pain in the ass for the Winchester brothers. Dean had angrily argued with him during the course of waiting for an audience with the man a second time, that they didn't _need_ to bother with all the formalities... but Sam flat-out refused that they be reduced to thieving around and looking generally shady. They had enough to hide as it was.

He was shaken out of his brief musings when one of the women brushed into him as her and her group of friends passed. Apologizing to her with a soft smile, he nodded and stepped towards the stall. The stocky, older man behind the cart gave him a toothy grin and stood to his full height so he could regard Sam. Even completely upright though, Sam still had several inches on him, but the red-headed man didn't seem to care too much.

"Hullo, what can I help ya with, lad?"

The man's accent was thick, taking Sam by surprise for a moment. Another out-of-towner? Well, whatever helped him fit in, he supposed.

"I know it's out of season, but you wouldn't happen to have any winter squash still, would you?" He asked tentatively, already seeing a small variety of vegetables he wanted. The stall was a good one; the vegetables looked clean, properly ripened, and were priced reasonably. Since the stall had tiers and was fairly large for something mobile, Sam knew there were hidden compartments accessible only when requested specifically.

He wasn't disappointed when the man's grin grew, and he clapped his hands together with a brief but loud huff of laughter.

"O'course! Just a few, mind ye, but they cost a bit more coin since the season turning. If ya don't mind, that is."

"No, that's fine." Sam found himself grinning too; the man's good nature was infectious and pleasant. For a brief moment, Sam was glad Dean hadn't come with him. He could almost imagine the two having a loud and lengthy conversation, as long as it wasn't about leafy greens. Dean couldn't stand when Sam came back with what he called 'rabbit food'.

"Aright then! Anythin' else ya be needin'? I happen to have a small stock of watercress too. Popular, that it is; a full bushel nearly gone and the day's barely started."

Taking a moment to think on it, he nodded. "A small pouch please, and a few of those if you don't mind."

After a bit of gesturing about for various vegetables, Sam gave the man his thanks, paying for his purchases and still grinning as he finally moved on. Taking in a slow breath, his enhanced senses picked up the scents of the various other stall offerings along with some of the shops that had their windows open for the relatively warm afternoon.

Carrying the leather journeyman's satchel with the stock of vegetables inside, he wanted to check out a fruit stall if possible. They seemed to be popular in this town, so if he wanted anything good or still ripe, he needed to head there quickly. Luckily, the layout for the shop square was simplistic; everything facing the direct center of a large stone-paved circle, where many stalls were set up in a ring around the center.

Many potted plants and several trees jutted out behind stone and wooden buildings, and the aesthetics of the various shops were simplistic but homely. Since there were at least a dozen shops and even more stalls, it took Sam a moment to sift through the jumbled clashing of scents in order to pick out the sweet aroma of fruit.

But before he could take more then a few steps in the direction of the stall, a deafening roar rent the air, causing the younger Winchester to freeze in a sudden surge of fear. His mind immediately supplied that the roar didn't belong to his brother... which only soothed his nerves a fraction, just enough to release the heavy breath of air he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

Shouts from humans in the distance and the sound of a whip cracking had him turning towards the buildings to his right. If his currently-hazy mind remembered correctly, that area was mainly for law-enforcement; the guard barracks and so-on.

"Looks like that dragon is acting up again."

Cloudy hazel eyes darted to the left and a nearby group of men, staring in the direction he'd just been looking. All of them wore various expressions of annoyance and disgust, and Sam had to remind himself he needed to remain calm and collected... that they weren't looking at _him_ like that.

One of the others spoke as yet another bellow silenced any idle chatter in the shopping square.

"That Light Elemental... I don't even know why our lord keeps it around. Pretty and expensive as it may be, the thing is damn noisy and nothing but violent. At least the darker one knows when to shut up."

There was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the group, and Sam turned away from them as a small surge of anger stole over him. So... the town had pet dragons. Dean wasn't going to be happy when he found out... which he probably already had; that first roar would have alerted both Winchesters from miles-out, let alone how close they currently were.

But despite his current fear- fear of being discovered by humans, fear of being outed should the dragon see him and decide that he didn't deserve to walk among the humans unscathed- his curiosity was creeping up. Stepping away from the human group before he decided that anger was a better way to spend his time, Sam slipped through the small ring of shops, and down the shallow slope of a hill that housed many more buildings.

This square was rectangular; buildings lined up on either side but having wide berth from one another. In the dead-center of everything, there was a thick slab of stone that spread out atop the cobbled pathway between the buildings. Atop the stone and making Sam's skin crawl as sweat began to break out all over his body, heavy runic magic pulsed like a heartbeat.

He could practically feel the bindings slithering closer to his own body, the way they pulled at his limited magic and demanded subservience. No, he shook his head. He had to remind himself that no one knew who he was right now. For all intensive purposes, he was human. A very tall, young, long-haired brunette male. With a shaky exhale, he tried to keep that in mind as he took in the two dragons bound almost pitifully to the runic slab.

The first, a large ebony dragon with what looked like four wings with a fifty and forty-five-foot span respectively, looked to be laying on its side uncomfortably. It fidgeted often, and took great care not to roll over onto its left hind leg... a motion that caught Sam's eyes immediately and had him scanning it with a growing tinge of worry. Across the sleek black scales, a sizable gash bled sluggishly. It looked infected. Sam's mouth went dry.

"Sammy!"

Missing the call of his name, Sam forwent further inspection of the large black male, in favor of eying the much smaller golden dragon. A light elemental, he thought with growing wonder. So two dragons; a darkness and light elemental respectively. Both were thought to be extinct... at least that was what his father had said many years ago.

The smaller dragon was angry; six feathered wings resembling spun gold beat furiously in the air, the jagged white teeth of the great maw snapping out at any of the guards that drew close enough for him to reach. The body of the dragon looked to be adorned with diamonds of various sizes and shapes, but all were patterned and surrounded by opulent golden scales that rippled atop corded muscle.

_'Powerful...'_ He mused to himself thoughtfully.

"Goddamnit Sam, answer me!"

Jerked out of his thoughts quickly, he realized he'd been completely ignoring his brother, as the familiar human form neared him looking entirely pissed off and more then a little worried. But Dean's angry tirade fell short when his own eyes snagged on the two dragons chained to the center of the square.

"... Fuck. Fucking..." Sam watched tan hands come up, calloused fingers raking through short brown hair in frustration. "Of course. Of course this goddamn town has dragon pets. We haven't even been here a year, we should've fucking _looked_ to see if this place was some kind of dragon hunter central."

Sam rolled his shoulders silently, still feeling the heavy guilt from not having answered his brother sooner. "The black one is injured..." It was the only thing he could think to say in that moment.

Dean released a loud, angry exhale, darkened eyes darting back to really take in the two forms. The light elemental seemed to be giving the humans a hell of a time, but he was starting to lose strength and the guards had finally brought out a mage. Eventually he was subdued, and both Winchesters looked away as punishment was doled out in the form of whips and a painful tightening of the bindings.

"What do we do, Dean? We already built a house... all of our things are there, and..." The younger Winchester trailed off, waiting for his brother's thoughts on the matter.

He had his own wants and opinions, but when it came to things on this level, Sam trusted Dean to make the bulk of the decisions. His brother had always looked out for him no matter what, often putting Sam before even himself and certainly before any others. He liked this town aside from their obvious disdain for dragons, and he more then enjoyed their house. It was the first residence they had actually built themselves... he was proud of the accomplishment. But he would stand by his brother's decision.

Dean, however, seemed to be distracted at the moment. Turning back towards the two beasts chained to the center of the square, Sam tried to track where Dean's gaze was so intently riveted. The sleek black dragon had stood carefully once punishment had been meted out, and gently turned the smaller dragon onto its side into a more comfortable position. With slow, careful licks, a long pink tongue darted out to ease the sting of the bleeding whip-wounds.

It was apparent that the humans had the enchanted means to dole out considerable pain to dragons... the two pitiable creatures were proof of that. But still, Dean remained silent as he watched two finely-feathered black wings stretch out slowly, before encasing the small golden dragon under a safe and soft nest of warmth. It was pretty much like intruding on a private moment of comfort, watching the display... the thought bringing back the small surge of anger Sam had had for the humans earlier.

This wasn't fair. Slavery wasn't fair. Destroying the lives and privacy of creatures that had more right to walk this earth then the humans did, that wasn't fair. Dean's tight grip on his forearm broke Sam from his thoughts, and he turned to look at his tight-lipped brother.

"You done shopping?"

Sam only nodded.

"Let's go back. I'll just..." Another run-through of fingers through hair, and Sam winced. His brother was strung out more then either of them had been in years, which was saying something. "We'll talk about whether to move or not later. I'm not worried about anything we missed right now." The last part was added after a brief pause, like an afterthought.

"Alright." He wouldn't argue with Dean, or give him anything else to worry about right now. Turning to head back to their horse and cart, he made his way back up the small hill slowly. If he stopped to peer back for a moment at the two dragons, no one caught it.

If Dean had stood for a couple more minutes staring at large, fluffy black wings... no one said a word.


	4. Lesson Three: Submission

Sam took Dean's decision of 'we can stay for now, no one knows who we are yet', as a 'go ahead Sammy, nose your way into the captive dragon's business'. Not verbally of course, but well... he didn't _always_ follow Dean's go ahead. So around the same time the next morning, Sam found himself standing in the same observatory spot he'd taken up when he first discovered his bound kin. Dean had told him to pick up the rest of their missing inventory requirements with a sharp word to stay away from the runic circle and the beasts on it.

This morning though, it looked like the townspeople were ignoring them; the golden dragon continued to jerk lazily at the runic chains, while the ebony dragon simply watched with a tired expression. He wasn't sure what drew him to stare so blatantly; Sam knew he himself was just as wondrous a creature, and so the novelty of it had faded a long time ago. It wasn't even that they were rare species, though that certainly was something to be impressed over in and of itself.

But there was... something else. Something he couldn't pin-point. Because of that, he found himself inching closer without thought, until he stood just past the row of buildings and in plain sight of both the dragons and the passers-by. Luckily, his riveted staring didn't draw much attention, and the looks he did catch were simply of the preening guards and businessmen who's ego inflated the longer Sam stared.

But it was when he drew the attention of the black dragon, that Sam began to feel slightly uncomfortable. It hadn't taken long... a simple slide of cerulean eyes that normally patrolled the masses, landing on unwavering hazel. Both parties startled subtly; only enough to alert each other to their shock and wonder. Being a more powerful and rare species then Sam, the younger Winchester could no more have hidden his presence from the dark dragon then a mammoth trampling in a glass shop.

The energy in the air crackled lightly as the staring match ensued, no human the wiser. But eventually the feeling drew the attention of the golden dragon out of confusion; the odd flaring of his brother's aura prodding him, before turning to fix caramel-colored irises onto Sam. The tension in the air nearly tripled. Suddenly, Sam felt ridiculous and insignificant; he shouldn't have come so close, shouldn't have stepped out into the open. It wasn't the humans he was afraid of... it was the sheer archaic _power_ emanating from the two glorious beings who should no more have been held captive then the wind or the sun.

But despite his growing trepidation and worry, the two made no moves towards him, and gave not a single signal to the humans around them. Unsure of whether or not to feel lucky or continue being afraid for his life, the younger Winchester took a step back... before a large, tanned hand fell heavily on his shoulder.

He would deny the yelp that followed for the rest of his life.

Dark hazel eyes under drawn eyebrows and a decidedly unamused expression stared back at him when he whirled around.

"Sam, I told you to _stay the hell away from them_. That doesn't mean walk your ass away from the shopping district and come looking for them. What the fuck were you thinking?!" Dean hissed angrily, gripping his brother's arm tightly and jerking him back.

Both Winchesters took brief note when both dragons followed the swift movement with subtle movements of their own. But at the moment, Dean was to angry to pay it full mind.

"It's been _four hours_." He continued, eyes darting to the guards nearby to make sure he went unheard.

Sam's startled expression threw him off for a moment, however. "What, really..?" '_How __much of that was just watching them__...?_'

"Yeah, really. Sam... I don't like this situation any more then you do," Dean waved briefly in the dragon's direction, his eyes darting to the sleek ebony one as it cocked its head curiously, "But there isn't a damn thing we can do about it. They're elites, and those chains are high-level enchants."

Expelling a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in, Sam's eyes darted back to the golden one. "You asked?"

"I didn't need to. I recognize the runes."

"But Dean... we can't just... we can't leave them like this. I don't care if we don't know them-"

"Shit Sam, it's not about being strangers-"

"I know, I know. But we can't just sit and do nothing!"

Dean grit his teeth lightly, pulling Sam further away from a nearby guard who turned to blink at them after the brief outburst. He understood all too well how his brother felt on the matter. But he had no clue how to remove enchants on this high of a level; he was only a common fire dragon. As if picking up on his brother's train of thought, Sam turned back to stare at the chains binding the two to the altar.

"... Maybe they know? Maybe it's as simple as asking them."

Dean snorted. "What, you think an elite will give a common the time of day?"

The elder Winchester recognized the bitchface coming before it finished, and held up his hands.

"Just saying Sammy. Dragons have a lot of pride, and elites have enough to spare, seriously."

"As if you don't."

"Shut up, bitch. I mean it. If you wanna try 'talking it out' or some shit, fine. But... fuck." A calloused hand came up, sliding irritably through short brown hair. "Do it at night. Don't give the guards any reason to look at you funny."

Nodding lightly, Sam found his gaze locking with the light elemental once more. "Yeah... I know."

"And like hell you're going alone."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"They've got guts. Stupid idea, but ballsy."

"I find it admirable that they would risk their comfort and safety, for strangers." Castiel shifted lightly on the stone, wincing as another sharp stab of pain ripped through the infected wound. Help would certainly be a relief, he thought, even if he shared Gabriel's doubts to a fair degree. After the two strangers had left –Sam and Dean, he had picked up their names during their arguably loud squabble- he began to wonder if they really planned to follow through with coming back.

"You're just interested in the shorter one. Don't think I didn't see you eyeballing him."

"Curiosity does not equate to attraction Gabriel. However I did take notice of your blatant wing-ruffling when the younger one turned your way."

Gabriel snorted lightly in amusement before settling down, crossing one large claw over the other lazily. "I think we scared the hell out of him. Not a lot of common dragons can deal with being around us."

"Perhaps."

"Well, we have a couple hours anyway before nightfall. When did that old asshole Zachariah say he'd be coming out for shearing?"

Gabriel's tone was light, joking, but Castiel could sense the underlying tension as close as he was. He chose to ignore it however, knowing his brother would only brush off concern or grow annoyed. He needn't have answered though, as a door slammed open somewhere within the district and a loud, annoyed voice called out for one of the guards.

Despite their distance the runes didn't inhibit them entirely, and the two dragons could make out everything being said as easily as they had overheard the two Winchesters earlier. Zachariah's voice was easily recognizable, and the tone of voice hinted at the particularly foul mood he seemed to be in.

"Oh, this'll be fun..." Gabriel muttered absently.

Concerned blue eyes darted to his brother, but the golden dragon merely shook his head. When the round man finally appeared along the cobbled street with his usual entourage of guards, Gabriel picked himself up off the stone and stretched the chain as far as it would allow, ignoring the bite of the runes as they pressed heatedly into hard golden scales.

"Hey, Zachy. I see you still haven't taken my advice about that extra weight you're carrying around. Seriously, those poor horses." He snarked as the group drew close enough to hear him.

If possible, the balding man seemed to puff up even more; his face turning an indignant shade of puce beneath the expensive cloth hat he wore.

"Still not done with your little jokes Gabriel?" He spat, beady eyes narrowing. "I thought we learned what happens when you open that unnecessarily large mouth of yours."

If Gabriel had been in his hybrid or human form, he knew he'd be smirking. "Yeah. No matter how big I open up, I still can't fit your fat ass in with one bite."

_'Gabriel...'_ Castiel called through their mental link, and Gabriel could practically hear the frown, his worry seeping heavily through the link.

_'Can't give them what they want, Cassy. Besides, whether I'm nice or not, they'll still rip chunks of me away. No way in hell am I siting here complacent.'_

The rage the short man exhibited after that, would probably have been inspiring in its intensity to some of the lesser dragons, if they could see him. As it was, his shouting to the guards to have Gabriel drawn down to his level and held firm, caused several people from the residential area to return in kind; their displeasure at being interrupted with daily life now well-known.

_'Damn insects.'_

_'Calm, Gabriel...'_

A reply was cut off as several human hands reached for the binding chains, jerking harshly and forcing Gabriel onto his belly with a loud crash, despite his superior strength. The runes took far more out of him then he ever would have imagined possible; a mistake that cost both him and his brother their freedom.

Bright white wings flapped feebly a moment before they too were grabbed and pinned to the unforgiving stone. Not long after, he felt a tight clamp pinch around his tail and searing hot metal listing dangerously close... a threat to weld his tail to the stone if needed. It seemed Zachariah had really had more then enough of Gabriel's taunting.

_'… Do you really think those two knuckleheads are going to come back?'_

The question was quiet, strained. Castiel knew his brother didn't want to get his hopes up because of two strangers with a sudden righteous mindset, but he also knew that they literally had no other means of escape. Gabriel had been pulling at the chains for a long time, and the one attempt Castiel had made, had landed him with a still-festering gash along his leg. Neither of them had any use of their inherent powers... not even their aura.

He was tired. Castiel was tired too.

_'What do we have to lose?'_

Gabriel snorted, even as the guards began drawing their weapons. Zachariah's face practically beamed in triumph as the golden dragon's weakened struggles tapered off into resigned stillness.

OooOoOoOoOoOoOo

The idea that they were doing this, getting ready to sneak into a town to destroy powerful runes and free a pair of dragons that could just as easily kill them as a group of armored humans, made for a very quiet preparation. Sam knew Dean had a habit of drinking heavily before special hunts; the alcohol acting as an excellent lubricant for his flame if he needed to be more precise, rather then belching walls of fire.

Sam didn't need to do much himself, but just in case he took several minutes preening out the dry and crispy leaves as he shifted into his hybrid form; his mane, tail, horns, wings, and some patches of leafy scales bleeding through the human skin and adorning him like an intimate outfit. The quieter he was, the more they could avoid tipping off the night watchers.

"Ready?"

Turning to his brother who also wore his hybrid form, Sam nodded. The bright glow of harmless flame on Dean's mane and tail would make a good distraction for pulling away the guards stationed in the square they needed to raid, he only needed to keep them confused.

Without words, both brothers knew their intended roles and left their house; wings spread and carrying them towards the town as twilight dispersed into the inky blackness of night.

"The black one was injured, make sure you get him out first." Dean's gruff voice cut through the wind as the flew and dodged around a few dead trees. Autumn was unforgiving this year.

"The gold one had his tail sheared, that will probably inhibit his flight."

"You can't carry both. If neither of them can fly then call me, because we'll be fucked either way then."

Exhaling a quiet breath, Sam dove down as the town came into sight. Wordlessly, Dean flew up and over; passing the watchtowers at a height and angle where the humans were blind. Upon landing, Sam rushed through the grass and sidled up to a nearby building, retracting his hybrid features quickly. He was glad now, that this town didn't have a large manor or castle... scaling a wall would make their venture far more complicated. Sam couldn't climb a wall while carrying another dragon if the dragon didn't have the strength to shift into a lighter form.

As he waited for the quiet bustle of the evening crowd to dwindle off, the younger male chanced a few looks around the corner, and shifted from building to building while maintaining cover. It wasn't hard; there were surprisingly few guards out tonight. As he bypassed the shopping square and fell against one of the guardhouses that framed the dragon's altar, he realized he could hear the loud 'chink' and 'clank' of metal crashing into metal.

Chancing a look around the building to the center of the square, he froze in horror. The majority of the guard force were apparently here; several of them holding down the wings and chains of the golden dragon. Four men straddled the tail, while three others took turns hacking away at the fine silver hair that made up the tip.

Not paying any mind as he dug hard enough into the brick wall to dig four long finger-shaped furrows, Sam tried to remain calm. Dean would have to wait until the mass of humans tapered out first, there was no way his brother could get away with grabbing the attention of that many.

His attention was snagged back however, when the light elemental jerked suddenly; crying out against a particularly brutal cut. It lurched forward out of reflex, slamming into one of the guards and tossing the human several feet away into a nearby building.

A large fat man that Sam recognized as the ill-tempered Lord of the town was furious at the move. With a sharp hand motion, he barked an order Sam missed due to his attention focusing on the dragon's pain. As guards dropped the tail and gathered around a large metal clamp with a glowing press, the ebony dragon finally came to life before the Winchester's eyes.

With a roar of rage and panic, it shot forward; two more guards following their kin into the building that the other had the misfortune of smashing into. Several guards turned on the ebony dragon, runed swords glowing viciously in the torchlight of the square. Watching the scene with growing horror, Sam hadn't even realized he'd started running forward until an ear-splitting roar rent the air, followed by a jet of white flame that lit the sky like sunrise.

"DEAN!"


	5. Lesson Four: Punishment

I'd just like to mention: I've posted art for this fic on my tumblr, which you can find on my profile. :3

_OoOoOoOoOo_

_The white flame was only the first._

The sparks generated by the flames flew in all directions, raining down like a torrent onto the wooden rooftops and setting the guardhouses aflame near-instantly. Dean held a lot of pride in his fire, and for good reason.

As the humans cowered in momentary blindness, Sam slid gracefully in the gap between a few of the standing bodies, pushing himself over top of the golden dragon's tail. Instinct told him they wouldn't harm him... they had as much to lose as he did right now.

"How do I get you out?" He ground out quickly, placing his hand on the collar of the black dragon who had once more lain himself down due to pain. The enchantments thrummed under his fingertips, a warning that if he stuck his hand under the loop of the collar, he would not be pulling it free. He had to tread carefully.

_'The guards... their weapons may be able to cut the chains...'_

Not wasting any time, Sam whirled, eyes darting around the square and looking for the nearest weapon. The runed blades were easy to tell by the odd glow of gentle pastel colors against the dull steel, but the nearest guard was still several feet away and the shock from the light had already worn from several of them. Zachariah had grown purple in the face with rage, and began shouting orders and obscenities at the few who continued to stand there.

But Sam had little time to worry about being found; Dean hadn't wasted the time-frame either. Bronze scales glinting in the dying firelight pounded the cobbled walkway as clawed feet tore through stone like butter. Two of the guards who had been unfortunate enough to be standing near the building alleyways were slammed into brick walls on either side; the mortar and stone disintegrating under the brutal pressure and sending the bodies through the wooden support beams on the other side.

In his hybrid form Dean stood nearly a foot taller, placing him above seven feet. The thick, scaly tail reached at least twice that, with a blazing plume of blue flame at the end. Dark black horns that curved back in a sharp s-shape, framed scruffy brown hair, followed closely by burning copper irises. With a twenty-foot wingspan straight across and several dark patches of hefty bronze scales on joints and framing the dragon-like bend of his legs and hands, Dean knew he looked practically like a demonspawn from hell to them.

_It was a thing to be used to advantage, and let it never be said that Dean Winchester was not intelligent._

The next roar that ripped through the suddenly-still air was enough to cause Zachariah to trip over his own feet as he shuffled backwards, but a least a few of the guards around him had grown too cocky with their expensive blades; two of them charging for Dean out-right while another pair circled around the building to try and catch him off-guard.

Meanwhile, Sam had grabbed a guard that hung too far back near the dragons; the man asphyxiating in his tight grip before dropping like a rock to the stone floor below. Grabbing the loose blade, he turned questioningly to the black dragon. Blue eyes stared back, calm in the face of everything going on. Drawing a bit from that strength, Sam brought the weapon up, before crashing it down onto the chain as hard as he could. Sparks flew from the dull, grimy metal, but it didn't break.

"No, _no,_ this has to work." He hissed, bringing the blade back up and in the same powerful swoop, brought it back down on the chain. This time, half of a link cracked; the metal shining brilliantly under the thick swirling enchantments.

_'Kiddo, this is gonna take a while. If you get Cassy here free, you book it with him, alright? No use in you risking us all by getting too greedy.'_

He knew he should've been startled by the airy voice erupting from so close behind him, but the gentle if not slightly humored tone was actually calming. He found the tension easing just slightly in his shoulders, and as he raised the sword again and aimed for the weakened link, he huffed.

"They'll just kill you, expensive or not. I'm not leaving you here, so stop telling me what to do."

_'Haughty little shit, aren't you? You can't get us both out of here. I'm telling you to quit while you're ahead.'_

The sound of steel hitting steel erupted once more, and another deep fracture appeared in the degrading link. Intense hazel eyes shot up to meet the golden dragon's for a brief moment while he shivered against the raw ache in his muscles. No human could put a dent in these chains, he knew that now. Dean could have probably shattered them with two hits, but his brother was currently taking on an entire garrison.

"Don't-" He brought the blade down again, finally severing the chain just as the third roar of the night pierced the air. It was triumphant, and so Sam didn't spare it a glance. "- Tell me what I can and can't do." Words breathy from exertion, he turned back to the ebony dragon.

"Is any of your power coming back?"

Taking a moment to asses himself, the ebony dragon shook his head.

_'Not enough to help. I am sorry to be a burden upon you.'_

"You're not, don't worry." Raising the blade again, Sam nodded when the dragon shifted just enough so that the chain was dragged between the two bodies. He still needed to remain as hidden from the guards as possible, and the two beasts had picked up on the fact quickly.

_'Ah, while we're stuck here we might as well make some introductions.'_

Sam snorted at the cheek on the golden dragon. For an elite, he didn't act nearly as proper and superior as the stories their father had told them when they were younger.

"I'm Sam Winchester. The one tearing through the square is my brother, Dean."

_'Well, I'd like to say 'nice to meet you', but I think under the circumstances I'll just say I'm definitely appreciating the sweaty show you're putting up, kiddo. And the name's Gabriel. That poor injured beast over there is my half-brother Castiel.'_

Despite the situation Sam still had the grace to blush as another chain broke under runed steel.

_'Duck!'_

Castiel's cry came just quick enough for the three heads to dodge the incoming guards that flew their way, metal and leather falling from the bodies as they spiraled past and out into the streets. Still managing to keep all attention on himself for the moment, Dean's heaving form could be seen looming in the forgotten torchlight.

Standing atop several unconscious forms with his tail wrapped around another, Dean's brilliant glowing eyes assessed Sam's situation quickly before the powerful tail cracked like a whip. The body that had been curled so tightly within it went flying as far as the watchtower on the other side of the town. The distant sound of wood fracturing followed shortly after.

"Is this all you humans got?" He snorted, rolling a shoulder and narrowing his eyes at the remaining dozen. The two that had stupidly decided to sneak up on him from behind were firmly planted in the stone wall several yards back, and the two that had come from the front... well he was standing on them.

Among others.

As another five approached, he drew in a deep breath. Seeing that Sam had been able to sever chains with a blade, he now had confirmation they could pull this off. His baby brother just needed time. He wasn't going to fail him.

"How much longer can he keep this up?"

With his enhanced hearing, he could make out Zachariah in all his indignant fury, hissing at the guards even as he stood far behind them. Unfortunately for him, his words fell on deaf ears; a couple had abandoned post and fled. The remainder still wore enough fear to scatter their judgment, not that Dena was complaining. He wasn't sure how many he could take if they all rushed him at once.

As the approaching guards drew close enough to him to raise their blades for an attack, he released the breath in a blazing gust of white fire. Leather, metal, skin, anything in reach began to melt rapidly, and the smell of cooked meat grew strong in the area. Just as the bodies began toppling over each other with a loud muffled squelch the sound of another chain falling his Dean's ears.

The ensuing sound of approval from the two dragons and Sam's relieved laugh was enough to tell him what had happened. Now, he just needed to figure out how to maintain all the attention so Sam could get the injured dragon out. But as he stole a look over at the stone dais, he noticed his brother wasn't moving to leave.

_'What the hell Sam...' _He thought viciously, even as another round of guards spilled out of the guardhouses. It was only a matter of time before others got wind of what was going on and prepared to fight. They just _didn't have the time_. He sucked in a shallow, angry breath when he saw him move to start on the next dragon's chains. '_Damnit Sammy, I said get the injure-'_

His thoughts were cut off mid-way by the crisp sound of something buzzing past him, another in its wake that drew even closer, and then a sharp pinch as yet another landed on his hip. With a grunt he looked down to find out what the hell had hit him, the sound of someone yelling in a distressed tone merely a passing notice to the arrow he saw sticking out of his body.

"Fuck..."

Reaching for the wooden shaft, he ripped it out of his hip, the flaring pain that resulted was enough to ground him for a moment against shock. It had been a long time since Dean had been injured, let alone by a human...

Sam's cry of his name only jolted him back into purpose. _'No time for injuries,_' he thought as he charged ahead, dodging another volley of arrows from the fresh line of soldiers that crowded the cobbled pathway.

"Dean stop!"

There were more then a few this time... more then the two dozen he had managed to get the jump on. What had he been thinking, starting this fight in the first place? What had Sam been thinking, running out into the open like an idiot? Why had that dragon gotten up and put his life at risk for the other? The more questions came up in his mind, the more ruthless Dean grew in his assaults.

Guards continued to fly several feet in many directions, but only more replaced them. This time, they seemed to be gaining some organization; the archers remained behind the melee lines and continued to shoot at him while humans carrying broadswords charged at him without mercy. All he could think in the moment was how annoying it was that his fear-factor had worn off.

But he was still a creature of mercy and honor; he couldn't change into full form in a town. The residential area wasn't far from here, and those were innocent and defenseless people. He wouldn't put them at risk.

His brother however, watched in growing horror as Dean's wound began to bleed profusely from the exaggerated movements. With Sam working against violently-protesting muscles to bring the blade down as quickly and harshly as he could against the chains, he still only made slow headway. The golden dragon had two more chains left, and half the square was filling up with guards.

_'I told you to run.'_ The light elemental hissed at him angrily, but Sam could feel the concern leaking off of his words.

"I told you to stop telling me what to do." He shot back calmly, his breath coming out in ragged huffs as he pushed muscles past their normal limit. The second chain cracked, the link halfway crumbling under the assault.

Behind him, Castiel tried to rise to his feet, but the wound had long-passed the point where he could ignore the pain, and he collapsed back against the stone with a muted whine.

_'Castiel, just stop. Sam-'_

"Shut _up,_ Gabriel."

_'Sam—_'

"Gabriel!" Pausing the next swing a moment to glare up at the dragon, he froze when he noticed Gabriel wasn't even looking at him. As his eyes followed the dragon's gaze and darted back over to the square where his brother was fighting, he felt himself go numb.

Dean was kneeling down on one knee, a guard's broadsword sticking out of another's chest even as four lay crumpled beneath him. But it was the arrow in his brother's left shoulder... the blood leaking down onto the stone below, that he couldn't look away from.

"No, no..."


	6. Lesson Five: Trust

Dean knew he put up a good show for the humans. The cocky grin and exaggeratedly-loose movement of his body giving off an air of immunity to the pain he actually felt. It was enough to instill real fear in the humans' eyes, at least... but he knew that for all his show, he wasn't convincing his brother of anything.

He just had to hope Sam wouldn't get stuck on this, and would finish what they started.

With a hefty pause of uncertainly from the armored guards, Dean had just enough of a grace period to remove the next arrow. He was lucky; both had pierced non-fatal areas, but he knew he could still bleed out of he kept fighting. The ringing sound of a sword hitting chain once more had him grinning wider, more genuine. '_Sammy's growing up._' He had just enough time to snark inwardly, before the next round of guards came for him thanks to shaky orders.

Taking a deep breath against the burn he knew he'd feel in a moment, a clawed hand came out to catch a swinging blade as it came for his throat before squeezing tightly. The metal shattered like glass under his fingertips. Absently, he thanked human stupidity for neglecting to rune the larger blades.

As he lurched forward with a loud grunt, he grabbed the guard who had swung at him by the face, shoving the man backwards quickly and ramming him into several of the others behind him. Buying himself time with startled shock, his tail made quick work of three other blades; the sounds of metal exploding ringing throughout the square.

"What the- _what's going on __over __there?!"_

Dean froze. Zachariah wasn't looking at him; the fat man's eyes clearly drawn to the area where his brother was working to free the last dragon, which meant... fuck.

On the other side of the square, Sam froze. He could hear the indignant cry of the Lord and the sudden lull in fighting, which meant that it wasn't Dean that had spurred the outburst. He was still half-hidden next to Gabriel, though... Confused, he took a cursory look around, a sharp intake of breath from the dragon beside him following after.

It was Castiel.

Now freed of his bindings the severed enchantments had faded away, allowing him to remove the thick metal shackle around his neck. With vast black wings the color of night unfurling into the cool air, Castiel looked every bit the dragon of darkness he was claimed to be. Black scales positively _absorbed_ all light in the area; the soft glow around him dimming to a dull pulsing shadow by his presence alone.

He could feel it... practically _tasting_ the chill air gathering around the other dragon as even the heat of the flickering torches couldn't escape. _'This is why they're elite..._' Sam thought mildly, his mind going fuzzy as he simply watched in awe. Castiel wasn't even standing- the dragon laying in such a position that he looked as if he needn't utilize his limbs at all; ready to leap at a moments notice and without missing a beat.

The rippling black feathers that coated the outer edges of his wings began to tremble.

_'Whoa Cassy, a little warning! Sammy, get behind my back leg, now!'_

Gabriel's surprised huff cut through the daze, and Sam shifted to do exactly that- just before the stone beneath them split with a resounding _crack;_ the rest of the ebony dragon's form had begun vibrating in the same manner.

_'Dean will bleed out if we do not take action. Samuel, when I move, finish Gabriel's last chain. I will help your brother buy you time; this fight is not his alone.'_

"Are you sure you're alright to do that?" Sam called back, watching the sleek black form as streaks of deep blue flickered over the scales.

_'One thing about little bro here; Cassy doesn't need to move to hit a target. Here, get ready.'_

With a flick, Gabriel's claw snagged the discarded sword Sam hadn't realized he'd dropped and the blade clattered to the ground behind him. Reaching for it, the younger Winchester poised himself for the right moment... they didn't have any time to waste now, not that they had before.

When what Castiel had been doing finally dawned on Sam, his first reaction was to grip Gabriel's leg tighter with his free hand. If he had not been so focused on the cracked ground below the ebony dragon, he would have felt the startled shift from Gabriel at the movement... but as it was, his attention was riveted.

From the crack in the stone a black, bubbling mist began to pour out; the cold chill permeating around the dark form expanding outward with the mist and quickly creeping its way through the square. But upon raising his gaze to follow it, he noticed it wasn't just the stone that the mist was pouring in from; all around them, the alleyways between the buildings were practically bursting with the thick and semi-translucent substance, casting the entire square in a perpetual field of darkness.

_'Now, kiddo!'_

Gabriel's rumble cut through Sam's haze, and with slow movements and a steady grip on the now-dull golden scales, he made his way upward towards the faint purple glow of the enchanted chain. Around them, both dragons could hear the sudden shrill cries from the humans... some borne of panic, while others took on a tinge of desperation and even pain.

Metal clashing against metal, grunts, cries, and Zachariah's horrified yell soon followed, but as Sam raised the sword and brought down the next swing that crumbled half of a link, he felt the mist around him pull forward. The feeling was intense- but Gabriel had insightfully wrapped a claw around his midsection to keep his human form from being swept away in the sheer force of it.

_'He hasn't been this angry in a long time. You're brother's kind of lucky... maybe.'_

Sam wasn't sure if he should be relieved or a little worried about that.

"If this is his power, I'm a little afraid of what you can do." He instead replied, bringing the blade up once more, and letting it fall back down with a mild added push. If there wasn't so much at stake right now, he knew he would have collapsed from exhaustion a long time ago.

_'Oh kiddo, if only you knew.'_

The younger Winchester could almost imagine some sort of smirk if Gabriel had been in a human or hybrid form from that, but shook his head. The mist around them had grown thicker over time, but not enough to obscure his vision if he used his inhuman abilities.

"Two more and I'm done. Can you fly?"

_'No problems there. I'd grab your brother but I think mine has that handled. When you're done, hop on and I'll give you a lift.'_

He wanted to protest and make absolutely sure Dean got free, but the words died in his throat. The roar of the human cries grew louder, sharper; now there most certainly was nothing but pain and agony in their calls, and the sounds of metal grinding relentlessly made Sam grit his teeth.

As the final chain fell apart and he dropped the blade, preparing to push through the smog and find his brother, the sight that greeted him when he turned stole his breath away. The mist had cleared just enough for his Dragonsight to pick up everything with practiced ease... and in it, Castiel's limber body hovered over Dean's.

A clawed fist held tightly to his brother's left shoulder, staunching the flow of blood even as the dragon began to lift him from the pile of dead and burning humans bodies. As Castiel's wing-beats further began to push away the cloying mist, the torchlight behind the archers glinted off of brilliant onyx scales, giving the appearance of his entire body glowing in a luminous silvery-blue hue.

Dully, Sam could feel a powerful binding around his own body, only briefly aware that it was Gabriel latching hold of him as he too began to lift off the ground. But the sight of Castiel holding tight to his brother despite his wound... the four massive wings beating steadily in the air and lifting them both to safety through the throngs of humans guards... something about it stole the younger Winchester's breath away.

Dean himself was drifting in and out of consciousness; his instincts using the last bit of adrenaline to bring his arm up and place a hand on the grip that held him tightly.

"Who... who the hell..." He ground out, voice weak from loss of blood and slipping awareness.

Castiel's voice was a low, gentle rumble that vibrated through their temporary connection.

_'I apologize Dean Winchester... I am Castiel, the one who grips you tight to raise you from damnation.'_

Dean's last thoughts before losing consciousness, were that firstly, the dragon had a strange way of speaking. Secondly, he wouldn't mind hearing that voice again.


	7. Lesson Six: Revive

I'm sorry this one took so long, I had some real-life issues that absolutely needed all of my attention. But I'm able to update again, and I plan to do it at the very least, once a week.

oOoOoOoOoOo

He couldn't remember the last time his body had felt so much pain. Not from a hunt, and not from the few near-death scenarios where he and his brother had been discovered by humans. Every muscle, every joint burned with what felt like unholy fire; ligaments and tendons screaming from overuse. But all in all, he wasn't sorry in the least.

Memories of last night came back in a steady trickle, thoughts of how badly things could have gone, kept Sam from sparing any doubt or regret despite feeling like an invalid right now. When they had gotten back to Sam and Dean's house, he and Gabriel had made sure their brothers took both available beds, before Gabriel had forced Sam to take the large pelt-fluffy couch.

Complaints were ignored, and attempts to get up to check on Dean were met with warning growls. Out of all of them, Gabriel was the most unscathed and so he had made it his job to keep an eye on everyone. The sounds of something bubbling from the main room of the house alerted Sam to the fact that Gabriel was probably making their brothers some soup, something gentle that they could eat without significant effort.

With a grunt he tried to sit up, but even unable to see him from the other room Gabriel snorted loudly.

"Don't even try it."

Releasing a slow, exasperated breath, Sam frowned. "I can't just lay in bed all day you know."

"Sure you can. Everything needs rest sometimes Kiddo. You weren't even well-equipped to be pulling off the stuff you did yesterday, that's not what your breed is built for. Really, it's not going to kill you to take it easy, and it's not like I have anything better to do today. Relax."

He couldn't help the snort that escaped him in reply, but he decided to give up arguing on the matter for now. He knew that even if he wanted to force himself to get up to make sure Dean and Castiel were alright, he probably wouldn't make it back to the couch.

"But how are you feeling?"

Hazel eyes darted to the doorway when Gabriel's voice grew in volume, seeing the other dragon standing in the doorway with a contemplative expression. Sam blinked, unable to help staring for the moment at the human form. He was much shorter then Sam, but with bright golden hair and matching eyes.

Compact but sturdy, like his dragon form. But his stance and smirk exuded the same feeling of power as his aura did, and a gentle light danced behind his irises. When Gabriel cleared his throat, Sam coughed lightly at being subtly called out, shrugging in response.

"I feel like I'm melting from the inside out."

"Yeah, that's normal when you stretch and tear a few prominent muscles. I healed what I could, the rest just depends on you not moving your stubborn ass."

"How long are you confining me to 'bed' then?" He tossed back, still frowning. He couldn't lay on the couch all day; he hated being lazy, let alone the fact that he hadn't had a chance to check on Dean since they got back.

But Gabriel seemed to read his mind, and sighed. "At least give it another day. Your brother and mine are probably going to sleep the whole day anyway, Cassy wasn't exactly doing himself any favors by hauling your brother all the way here. I already took care of cleaning them up too."

He added the last part as soon as Sam opened his mouth, causing the Winchester to shut it once more. A quiet calm settled over the room after that, with both men eying each other speculatively. But it was Sam who broke the connection first as his gaze darted to the ceiling.

"Thank you..."

"I think we evened out on this, Kiddo." Came the gentle reply, before Gabriel made his way back to the soup in the other room.

He was right. Shifting so he was more comfortable on the various pelts nailed to the sturdy frame of the large couch, Sam took to staring at the wooden crossbeams in the ceiling. How long have they lived here so far? But already they were entangled in a huge mess involving the nearby village.

He wasn't regretting their actions at all of course, but the idea that trouble would follow them wherever they went was a solemn one. His thoughts drifted around a bit, to Dean first; wondering if the arrow wounds would scar over and make for a permanent reminder of what they had done. Dean, he knew, would probably wear them like trophies; bragging to the women of the village about some heroic exploit... if he wasn't branded a wanted man. Which he was.

He was glad for one thing at least, no one had seen Sam at all during the escapade, so he could still go into the town for shopping when they needed it. They didn't have to uproot and move _yet again._

His next thoughts drifted to the dragon of darkness, Castiel. The shock of his abilities, and that Sam's brother was a priority to him was surprising enough. Sam had heard so many stories of elite dragons being no more kind to the common breeds then humans themselves. But Castiel was more concerned about Dean then his own life... he really needed to re-think his views.

And he really wanted to thank Castiel before he left.

Which brought his mind to their current situation. How long would Gabriel and Castiel remain here? Until Castiel fully healed? Or would they leave as soon as the injured dragon could move, not wanting to remain with common dragons or so close to the village that had enslaved and abused them? Sam found he had a lot of questions that he wished he had answers to, but didn't feel as if he could ask.

It wasn't his business to inquire into the lives of these strangers, despite what they had all been through. So lost in his thoughts, Sam only realized he was being called when a hand on his shoulder startled him enough to twitch.

Gabriel hovered above him, a bowl and spoon in one hand with a raised eyebrow. Whatever he was thinking, he kept it to himself.

"You should eat something. I swear, you're too tall and not nearly wide enough. How do you keep your balance?"

"Very carefully." Despite himself, Sam found his lips quirking into a brief amused smile. Gabriel seemed to catch it, his own smirk returning with a flare.

"Well, I'm sure I can find a few ways to topple you, you giant Treant."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Dean winced, raising a hand to block the shards of light stabbing into his closed eyelids. Feeling far too lethargic and heavy, he settled for groaning in annoyance rather then trying to sit up.

It appeared groaning was a far better choice, as even that was enough to drag a pained gasp out of him when the muscles of his injured shoulder shifted. It ended up creating a domino effect; a lance of pain ripping through his hip, and this time Dean bit back a deep grunt.

"You are awake."

That voice.

Startled into forgetting his pain for the moment, Dean's head swiveled in the direction of the voice, seeing familiar blue eyes and a head of messy black hair atop a pale human form. The man looked rough; slight stubble stealing over a square jaw and the white shirt he wore completely bed-rumpled. Dean's first thought to that was 'sexed out', before the man spoke again.

"How is your shoulder? I could not afford to be gentle with you when fleeing, I apologize. I may have aggravated the wound further. Gabriel would not tell me if..." But he trailed off, tilting his head curiously when Dean shook his and shrugged.

He thought he did well in hiding the wince that came after.

"I'm fine, really. This is nothing, I'll get over it quickly." Making sure to use the arm that wasn't attached to the injured shoulder, he waved a hand dismissively. "But uh... so that was you? I mean, if I couldn't sense your aura, I wouldn't have thought that-" He paused to give a brief wave at Castiel's form, "Woulda come out of that black dragon."

In fact he was still rather stunned, though he wouldn't admit it. Castiel's human form seemed so... serene by comparison to the angry black beast he'd seen up close and personal. But his room partner seemed not to mind his thoughts at all.

"I have been told my human appearance is rather deceptive. But I assure you, I mean you no harm-"

Dean interrupted him quickly, catching onto him. "No, nah, I didn't mean it like that. I just mean you surprised me. But thanks, I mean... we were in some shit back there. We were supposed to be helping you, not the other way around."

Castiel's lips twitched lightly, a ghost of a smile pulling at them from what Dean could catch.

"It was our fight as much as yours. If anyone should be grateful, it is me. Thank you, Dean."

Dean tried shrugging again, but paused halfway through the motion, unable to hide the wince this time. "It's no problem. I guess Sam and Gabriel are downstairs, since we don't have any guest beds. Was your brother alright, aside from the..." He trailed off, waving his good arm at his lower half, indicating the tail scene they had all witnessed earlier.

"Gabriel's tail will regenerate its mane with enough time, yes. Your brother is probably resting as well, I do not imagine forcing his body into such heavy manual labor in such a short time was healthy for a non-physical breed."

Dean huffed lightly.

"We've been through worse, Sammy'll live."

The conversation tapered off after that, with only the sounds of birds chirping outside and quiet shuffling noises from downstairs. Dean himself was growing tired again, feeling his eyelids drooping shut against his will. He knew Sam would be fine; even if he was in pain, some superficial muscle damage wasn't anything that couldn't heal over in time.

His drifting off was put to a halt though, when Castiel spoke again.

"Why did you decide to help us?"

"Hm?" Cracking an eye open, deep green eyes darted to the prone form in his brother's bed.

"I am aware that there is a... stigma, between elite-level dragons and the common breeds. I also know how hard it is to keep one's secret when trying to assimilate into human normalcy."

When he received a nod, Castiel continued. "I'm simply curious as to why you'd willingly risk everything to save strangers?"

If Dean was being honest with himself, he didn't actually have an answer to that question. He'd had a feeling, an urge to help, that had come out of nowhere and practically demanded he listen. But the idea of saying something like that out loud was ridiculous, so he settled for half-truth.

"I don't really know. But it wasn't right to just ignore something like that when I could do something about it. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself, peace or not. That shit's not right."

The curious head-tilt returned. "I see."

The sounds of light footsteps approaching cut the conversation for the moment, before the door to the room clicked. In the doorway, a light-haired male much shorter then Sam alerted Dean to the fact that this was probably the brother. He did think short, right? The man was _tiny._ Resisting the urge for the moment to make a crack on it, Dean cleared his throat.

"Uh, Cas's brother, right?"

The man grinned cheekily, setting the bowls down on the nightstand between the beds and crossed his arms. "Yup. Name's Gabriel." He popped the 'p' at the end, raising an eyebrow at Dean curiously.

The older Winchester simply raised his back, ignoring the urge to cross his own arms. Something about the man's attitude had his hackles raising. But for the sake of Castiel, he didn't raise to the niggling annoyance.

"So uh... thanks for taking care of Sam." He said with a nod. He had at least caught a brief moment in consciousness when they escaped the town, to see that Gabriel had grabbed his brother. He did owe Gabriel a thanks.

"No problem, Deano. Sammy's been good company while you guys have been laid up for a few days."

Dean spluttered, sneering up at the other man quickly. "What the fuck? Don't call me that. And don't call him 'Sammy', you don't even know him!" It was only after a moment that he caught the rest of what Gabriel had said, and he was raising his voice incredulously. "Wait, _what?_ A _few days?_ How long have I been out?!"

Gabriel snorted, both eyebrows raising as his voice took on a snarky, superior done. "Relax _Deano_, I'm getting to know _Sammy_ pretty well." He leered, eyebrows wagging. "Like I said, you've been out for about four days, give or take some sporadic moments of consciousness where you babbled for your brother before passing out again."

Dean grit his teeth, fists clenching in the sheets hard enough to turn his knuckles white. Castiel interrupted the venomous retort.

"Gabriel, please don't instigate, Dean is still recovering." He chastised. Gabriel merely shrugged. "But Sam is well?"

That, at least, got Dean to calm down enough to wait for an answer, eyes darting up to stare at the shorter man critically. It also seemed to knock Gabriel out of his teasing mood, because the leer softened to an amused grin.

"Yeah. He had some serious muscle damage, but nothing I couldn't take care of with barely a thought. He's just taking it easy for the left over soreness; I couldn't remove everything without some residual damage."

"That is good."

"He's been getting antsy to come up here and baby his brother, but I keep him occupied." And just to add to Dean's annoyance, he winked at the fire dragon.

If Dean was annoyed before, he was thoroughly pissed now.

"You son of a bitch, keep away from my brother-"

"Oh relax Deano, your brother's virtue is still safe."

"_Don't call me that._" Came the hissed retort.

"Gabriel, please." Castiel's exasperated sigh had his brother snickering, raising his hands in a false-placating manner.

"Alright, well I need to go store the rest of the food and check on Sam. You guys need more rest. I'll be back up later to check the bandages."

Dean only sneered at him, pointedly ignoring Gabriel. But Castiel nodded with a quiet 'thank you', before Gabriel retreated to leave them in peace.

"Fuck Cas. I'm glad you're nothing like your brother." Dean growled when the door had shut and the fading footsteps had died out.

Castiel's lips twitched softly. "'Cas'?"

The older Winchester blinked. "That piss you off? Sorry man."

"No, no." Shaking his head, the dark-haired male actually smiled. "I don't mind it."


End file.
